Selling the skeptic on retreads

This is the first of a multi-part series on the advancements made with retread tires.

Selling a quality product to a skeptical customer is as authentic as any problem in sales. No matter how beneficial the product, there’s always someone out there to question it.

The commercial tire industry has faced this problem for years in promoting its wide selection of retread tires. Despite tests, educational studies and on-highway performance showing today’s retreads are as effective as new tires, some fleets and owner-operators remain skeptical about the product quality.

“The retreading we are doing today is so far superior to anything we used to do in the past you would think everyone would jump on the bandwagon. But they don’t,” says Guy Walenga, director, engineering, commercial products and technologies at Bridgestone. “[Skepticism about retreading] is a lot more common than you’d think.”

That’s something the tire industry is trying to change.

Walenga says “you can’t sell everyone” on retreading, but if a customer is willing to listen, there are excellent selling points to convince them to give it a try.

“There is no reason to not at least give it a shot,” he says. “It dramatically reduces tire costs.”

Below are tips from industry experts to help sell a skeptical customer on a retreading program.